An App is a software application or application program that is downloadable to a mobile device from an App distribution website. Apps are sometimes called Mobile Apps because the receiving or target device is typically a mobile electronic device such as a smartphone, tablet computer, or netbook. Apps may also be downloaded to a less mobile electronic device such as a laptop computer, desktop computer, or television for execution. Apps may be downloaded to perform a variety of functions such as news harvesting, gaming, finding parking, etc. The distribution website or platform is usually operated by the provider or licensor of the operating system of the mobile device (the mobile OS). The distribution platform from where Apps are obtained by users may be referred to as a cloud in reference to cloud computing which provides processing or storage services using electronic systems located remotely from users. The platform or cloud may include devices for storage that may be accessed by users to obtain Apps.
The Apps are usually in the form of executable code or object code in a machine language executable by the mobile device. The Apps may be made available free to a user with limited service or a user may be required to pay a fee to download an App. Regardless of whether or not a fee is required, most Apps regularly collect or access user information from the mobile electronic device that a user would typically consider private. This private information can include, among other things, an address book stored on the mobile device, photos or other media, e-mail, short message service (SMS) text messages, and location information such as global positioning service (GPS) information. This information can be collected by Apps for the purpose of providing targeted content and advertising to the user.